Connecter for steel tapes



T. CHAMBY CONNECTER FOR STEEL TAPES- Filed Oct. 29. 1923 Patented @ct. l4, M9241. i H v memo ies; (3. away, or oonoivteia, some caitomiixia. oonnno'rna r'oR STEEL warns.

A neatitn inedoctober 29, 1923. Serial 1th; ciiaee:

camera: j befor and after the fastening step is coin- B fikn wl th I E DQ E C-H p et 1 t 65, BY, a citizen of the United States, ie The above and other details andadvansidingat Columbia, in the county of Richtages will be described and claimed in the t land and State of South Carolina, have following specification and claims, and invented certain new and useful Improve construction illustrated in the accompanymeiits conne t-erg for Steel Tapes, of ingdrawing, in which l j which the following is a specification. Fig. 1 represents a top plan view ofthe This invention relates to connecting deconnecter illustrating how the adjacent ends to vices": for holding adjacent ends of bands of a metal tape are held together; I I

ortapes of metal or other relatively stiff 2 is a longitudinal vertical section material, and is particularly directed to taken on the line 2-42 of Fig. l t5 an improved form of connecter for repair- Fig. 3 is a view of the bottom of the coning steelsurveying ta es. necter shown in Fig. 1;

It The chief object of "theinventi'on is to Fig. at is an enlargedcross sectional view proyide a quick repair unit which be along the line l4: of Fig. 6,'illustrating the readily used to efiectan accurate permanent configuration of the connector and the metal 70 connection particularly useful for measurtape to be held thereby and before the ing tapes. V j fastening step is performed;

requently, steel bands and tapes break Fig. 5 is an enlarge'dsectional view taken as result of sharp bends or sudden strain on the line 5-5 of F i'g. 1, illustrating the on weakened parts. Various forms of reconfiguration: of the upper face of thecon pair's have been used. Welding provides necter and the metal tape after thestruc; strongest connection, but welding operature of Fig, 1- has been changed, and the Z5 tibns'r quire apparatus too bulky to be carfastening step completed; and ried' bysurveying engineers, To effect a Fig 6 represents a top plan view of the weld repair, tlie broken end portion must connecter block shown in Fig. 1 but before be overlapped thus undesirably shortening the block has been deformed to fastentlie I the tape, or else an extra overlapping splice end portions of the metal tape in posi- 30 piece must be welded to the sides of each tion.

broken" end. :Heretofore, the," welded re Like reference characters identify like" pair, even with the addition of the splice parts in the different figures of the drawing. piece, has been least objectionable because Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 is a it did not materially thicken the tape. long flat body block ofrelatively rigid metal 35 Other forms of clamps and connecting dewhich is capable of being deformed under vices, many of which use setscrews and the severe blows but which resists wear and tear like, have proved troublesome because a towhich surveying tapes may be subjected. 9o iu'riipy block often with projecting screws, This body block may be formed of brass. or prevents convenient winding or coiling of a hard-copper alloy. The block is designed;

40 the tape and when in use, tends to catch to receive and hold securely the adjacent on trees and rocks and restricts the free use ends of abroken metal tape indicated at 2 oft-he tape. and 3. The top ofthe body block, as shown The present device has proved useful and in Fig. 1, has an upper wall 1 which is inrless troublesome than other known connecperforate except for a central opening 45 tions. This adaptability is possible because through which the position of the extreme the connecter of the present invention is ends 2 and 3 of the metal tapes: may be comparatively thin and will lay fiat when viewed. The opposite or under face of the the tape is wound. One important advanbody block is shown inIFigs 2, 3, 4 and 5 as tage resides in the fact that there is no 1 Extending lengthwise through thebody 60 projection extending fromv the fiat outside block is a slotted opening having an edge contour of the connector wall, the ultimate wall 1 which latter, together with the oppo; fastening element always. lying completely site. inner upper and lower faces, is adapted witl'i'in the confines of the connecter both to closely embrace and securely hold against the bodyblockis deformed downwardly to correspondingly deform themetal tape in ac cordance with the following, explanation.

I At the points indicated at l, the upper surface 1? is adapted to be drivendownwardly by the action of a suitable punch driven sharply by a hammer blow. The under face 1? is provided with openings 6, located oppositeto the points 4 of the'uppe'r surface 1 and spaced inwardly from the ends of" the body, block. Thus, when the upper surface is deformed downward-ly',-fitserves to depress both the upper surfacell at thepoints l'and also thetape por tions' 2 and B at" the tending downwardly into theopenings 6' in respective points Q and 3 The result is illustrated in Fig, 2 which shows .the upper wall l uand'the" tape portions .2" and 3 exthe-lower-wall-:of the body block; Figure trepresents the structure in cross section at one of the openings before the'upper face is -depress'ed and Figure 5 :is a corresponding view showing the positions taken byfthe upper walland' themetal tape after the de- The sight opening 5 serves to assist in makingcertain thatthe opposite adjacent ends formingor fastening operation is completed.

actually-touch, and thus the'tape may be ac- I "curately repaired and without changing the ,length materially." If the sight opening 5 was'not provided, there is a possibility that some obstruction might become lodged between .the' adjacent ends, thus separating I. themand preve'n'ting accurate repairs.

"Mast metal tapes are of spring steel and when such material-is deformed into the poi sition illustrated in-Figures 2 and 5, it will retainthat position and effectively prevent the withdrawal of the tape from the body blockjflt willthus be seen that this con necter element is self contained in that it {has "no projecting fastening screws or bolts thus interfere with the freeuse of the gon'which the repair has been made. The invention iscapable ofbeing used in the which .might become caught onlobjects and tape joining of any material whi'chmay be -deformed by the depression of one wall of the body block to correspondingly depress the material held into an openin'g'on'the oppo-' site side "of the body block from which the depression is formed. Changes in material [may be] made without" departing from the scope of theinvention so long as the material is capab'leof remaining in theshape to which the-fastening operation has changed it.

Iclaimry. 1 x

In a connecter, a body block having main openings extending inwardly from its opposite endsfor the reception of theends of articles to be secured, said body block having lateral openings through the wall thereof and extending from the exterior into said main openings, and the Wall of said body block opposite to said lateral openings being solid and imperforate and of rigid material capable of being deformed toward said lateral openings and to remain fixedly in the deformed osition, and the sides :of. saidiwalls at eit ier side of said lateral openings and throughout the length of the block between" said main openings being continuous and providing continuous supporting contact for'the articles to be held against movement in a plane at 'right angles to said lateral op'eningsi- 2. A device for holdingthe adjacent-broken end portions of metal tapes comprising a body block of rigid metal "having a flat slotted opening therethrough with continuous edge walls adapted to closely receive the'ends of a metal tape, said; body block having lateral openings through the Wall thereof and at right angles to the flat dimension and extending from the exterior into said slotted opening, and the wall. of said body block opposite to said lateral openings being solid and imperforate and of rigid material capable of being deformed toward said" lateral openings and to remain fixedly in the deformed position.

3. A device for holding the adjacent broken Portions of metaltapes comprising I if rior into said slotted opening, and the Wall of said body'block opposite to said lateral openings being solid and imperforate and of rigid material capable of being deformed toward said'lateral openings and to remain fixedly in the deformed position, said block also'having a sight opening through the wall thereof and communicating with said slotted opening and located between said lateral openings and through which the adjacent tape endsmay be viewed.

eh'lhe'combination of a two part metal tape and a device for holding the two parts in fixed relation to each other comprising a body block of rigid material having a slotted opening extending inwardly from the ends, a separate piece of metal tape extending into each opposite end into'said slotted opening, the side wall in said slotted opening closely embracing said tape ends and conforming to the shape thereof, said bodyfblock having lateral openings'throu h the wall thereof and extending from the exteriorinto said slotted opening, and the lateral openings and capable of remaining block Wall, said body block providing adjafixedly in the deformed position, and each cent the edges of said pieces of tape conof said tape end portions having a deformed tinuous supporting contact on both feces of 10 portion extending into its respective adjathe tape adjacent its edges and along the cent lateral opening on one side of the tape edges thereoend on the opposite side receiving the com- In testimony whereof I affix my signature. plementary deformed portion of the body THEODOTUS C. HAMBY. 

